Exaggerated replication in culture of adipocyte precursors from massively obese persons.

The characteristics of omental adipocyte precursors from massively obese patients, whose average body weights were 231% (range 70--369) of reference values, were studied in propagating culture. When compared to cells from lean subjects, the adipocyte precursors from 34 massively obese patients replicated at a significantly higher rate (p less than 0.001). Excessive replication persisted throughout the first five subcultures. Thus, this characteristic is inherent in the cells, and may reflect the operation of genetic factors in this subgroup of the obese population.